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DIY Seashell Serving Tray {from my redheaded friend, Claire!}

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Redhead here on a Thursday!  Well, actually I’m not here, I’m really sipping tea in a little cottage by the water.  In the mean time, I have invited 2 of my BFF’s in blog land to fill in for me.  These gals are not only talented in everything they do, they are also super supportive of the Redhead.  I love them, and I know you will too.  First up is Claire, and she is actually a redhead too!  Have fun Claire…

Hi there, Redhead Fans! It’s me Claire and I blog over at A Little Claireification.

DIY Seashell Serving Tray at ALittleClaireification.com #crafts #seashells #starfish @ALittleClaire

I am so happy to be over here posting today – Julie is one of my favorite fellow redheads of all time! I love that girl to bits!

DIY Seashell Serving Tray at ALittleClaireification.com #crafts #seashells #starfish @ALittleClaire

Today I am excited to share my latest addition to my back patio collection – my DIY Seashell Serving Tray. I’ve been working on our beachy themed back patio makeover for a few weeks and everything is really starting to come together.

I started with a plain little wooden tray that I had gotten at JoAnn – I used a 40% off coupon so it was only a few dollars but you could also repurpose any tray you might have on hand. I used some of the leftover aqua paint from my recent patio furniture makeover and gave it a quick spray.

DIY Seashell Serving Tray at ALittleClaireification.com #crafts #seashells #starfish @ALittleClaire

I did a couple of light coats – the wood grain actually peeks through a bit , which I like because I am going for a beachy, slightly worn look anyway. I then measured 3 inches in from each side and penciled in a little rectangle, which I painted off white. I hand painted the word “Relax” inside.

DIY Seashell Serving Tray at ALittleClaireification.com #crafts #seashells #starfish @ALittleClaire

You could use stencils for uniform letters but, again, I wanted this to be more rustic. I had ordered starfish and shells from Amazon to use in my DIY Starfish Garland project and in other areas of the patio makeover.

DIY Seashell Serving Tray at ALittleClaireification.com #crafts #seashells #starfish @ALittleClaire

I knew once I placed the starfish and shells where I wanted them on the tray that I would need some sort of clear, sealed surface to protect them and also to make the tray functional, so I grabbed a thin sheet of clear acrylic and some wooden button plugs from Home Depot. First, I painted the wooden plugs to match the tray.

DIY Seashell Serving Tray at ALittleClaireification.com #crafts #seashells #starfish @ALittleClaire

I hot glued a plug into each corner of the tray and then one in the middle at the top and bottom for added support. Next I used a plastic cutting tool {about $5} to cut the 11″ x 14″ acrylic down to be able to just fit into the tray opening which is 10.5″ x 13″. Actually, The Husband did the cutting and he asked that I be sure to tell you to have someone at your hardware store cut it for you if at all possible. 😉

After arranging the shells and starfish the way I wanted them and securing them with hot glue, I sprayed the entire tray, shells and all, with a clear polyurethane sealer. Then I dropped the acrylic into the tray – it rested perfectly on the wooden plugs since I made sure the shells and starfish I chose were less than 1/2″ tall.

DIY Seashell Serving Tray at ALittleClaireification.com #crafts #seashells #starfish @ALittleClaire

Lastly, I used a clear silicone sealant to seal the acrylic into place and to prevent any accidental spills from leaking underneath the acrylic top.

DIY Seashell Serving Tray at ALittleClaireification.com #crafts #seashells #starfish @ALittleClaire

And there you have it! A sweet little beachy inspired serving tray!

DIY Seashell Serving Tray at ALittleClaireification.com #crafts #seashells #starfish @ALittleClaire

The acrylic is so clear that you can hardly see it so here’s a reflective image – you can see the clouds in the sky. Purtiful. 🙂

DIY Seashell Serving Tray at ALittleClaireification.com #crafts #seashells #starfish @ALittleClaire

The great thing about this project is that you could design your own to match any theme you’d like. It was really easy to do – I would say cutting the acrylic was the trickiest part {thanks Hubs!!}. It looks so cute on our back patio – time for a party!

I hope you will pop over and visit soon and you can also see a couple of the other back patio projects like my Starfish Garland

DIY Seashell Serving Tray at ALittleClaireification.com #crafts #seashells #starfish @ALittleClaire

and my hand painted seashell pillow video tutorial

DIY Seashell Serving Tray at ALittleClaireification.com #crafts #seashells #starfish @ALittleClaire

and my recent “Vintage” Metal Furniture Makeover.

DIY Seashell Serving Tray at ALittleClaireification.com #crafts #seashells #starfish @ALittleClaire

Thanks so much for having me over today, Julie!! And I can’t wait to visit with you all again soon!

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12 Responses

  1. Claire and Julie – this tray is so summer fresh and beachy cute! Love it! So nice to see both of you together in one place! 🙂 Thanks for sharing this adorable project!

  2. Hi Red… hope you are enjoying your vacay by the water!
    Claire, that is a great idea having the raised acrylic tray top! I am going to give it a whirl myself! Your patio makeover is gearing up to be stellar!

  3. debbiedoos says:

    Claire is just too clever for words! Love this project.

  4. I love this tray! So Floridian of you Claire!! Anything with shells and starfish catches my eye!!
    Newest follower of Julie because any friend of Claire…is a friend of mine!!
    xoxo

  5. Well, shucks. Thanks ladies and thank you Julie for having me over!! xoxo

  6. Meegan says:

    I love anything with shells, so this post is perfect for me! Thanks for sharing-I am inspired! Pinning…

  7. I feel so out of place with my blonde hair and all 🙂 You are quite talented Claire, such cool projects! And I still might steal those chairs 😉

  8. Jen Marrs says:

    Love me some Claire Claire!!! Cute lady!

  9. I am forever amazed at the talent some people possess!! This tray is absolutely fabulous and as i am on a “seaside mission” with my living room at the moment, you have truly inspired me. Thanks from the UK

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